Reservoir writing instruments



Dec. 4, 1962 H. A. BROWN 3,066,652

RESERVOIR WRITING INSTRUMENTS Filed 001. 10, 1958 FIG.1. FIG.2. F|G.3.

Q I Q ATTORNEYS o I A i k Umted States Patent Ofifice DQ51 196:

3,066,652 RESERVOIR WRITING INSTRUMENTS Henry Allord Brown, London, England, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Waterman-Bic Pen Corporation,

Seymour, Conn., a corporation of New York Filed Get. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 766,602 Claims priority, application Great Britain Oct. 11, 1957 6 Claims. (Cl. 120-454) This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of reservoir writing instruments and has especial, but not exclusive, significance in the manufacture of cartridge pens.

An example of a cartridge pen is shown in co-pending British application No. 20,764/56, in which the pen has a nib section secured to a barrel. The barrel is arranged to contain a cartridge of ink, and the nib section has passing axially through it a tube the forward end of which communicates with a feed bar or the like, while the rearward end projects rearwardly into the space within the barrel which is to be occupied by a cartridge. The rear end of the tube is cut off at an angle and preferably sharpened so as to present a hollow piercing member to the cartridge which is forced through the barrel into intimate contact with the sharpened end of the tube when the pen is to be refilled. An aperture is cut in the forward end of the cartridge, so that the rear end of the tube gains access to the ink and is enabled to transmit it forwardly to the nib and associated parts.

In this general form of construction there are numerous very small parts requiring assembly during manufacture and it is an object of the invention to eliminate as much as possible the necessity for a multiplicity of loose parts requiring assembly. Further, in such a construction a considerable force is brought to bear on the tube when it is caused to pierce the cartridge, and to resist this force it has been necessary to adopt what are sometimes undesirably elaborate means to anchor the tube against unwanted axial movement. It is a further object of the invention to eliminate this drawback.

According to the invention a feed tube in a reservoir writing instrument comprises a preformed body embedded in a feed section, the feed tube having means to engage the feed section around it to anchor it against unwanted axial movement.

The rear end of the feed tube may project beyond the surrounding part of the feed section and may be arranged to constitute a piercing tube for a cartridge.

Conveniently the feed tube may be insert-moulded in the feed section, and the means to engage the feed section may be constituted by an out-turned flange on the feed tube, projections on the external surface of the tube or a tapered external surface on the tube.

Embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a feed section for a cartridge filled pen, the cartridge being shown in its operative position,

FIGURE 2 is a similar view of another embodiment, the cartridge being omitted,

FIGURE 3 is a similar view of a further embodiment without the cartridge,

F GURE 4 is a similar view of yet another embodiment omitting the cartridge, and

FIGURE 5 is a similar view of a further embodiment of the invention.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the feed tube It) is formed of a suitable metal and has its rear end 11 cut on the slant and sharpened according to known practice. The forward end of the feed tube is formed with a radially extending circular flange 12. Such a feed tube is located in a mould (not shown) which is arranged to form a hollow section 13 to be used forwardly of the barrel of the pen. The section 13 may be of any desired shape but conveniently has an externally threaded sleeve 14 extending rearwardly for engagement with an internal thread on the forward end of the fountain pen barrel.

Beyond the threaded sleeve 14 there extends a plain portion 15 having a bore arranged to accept a flexible walled cartridge 16 of polyethylene, the forward end 17 of which is snugly received therein so as to be pierced by and to embrace the piercing tube 11 in an ink-tight junction. The forward end 18 of the section 13 is arranged to accommodate a nib and feed bar (not shown) or to accommodate a separate nib section (not shown) complete with the feed bar, which may be arranged to be detachable.

The section 13 is mounted from a non-metallic plastic in any convenient way and according to known technique, but so that the flange 12 at the forward end of the feed tube 10 has plastic material moulded round both its forward and rearward sides as at 19 so that its periphery is embedded to an extent suflicient to anchor the tube immovable axially within the moulded section 13. Moreover, about 50% of its axial length is also invested in the moulding material.

The tube 10 is, therefore, immovably anchored against axial movement, irrespective of the force required in normal circumstances to push the catridge 16 into the section bore when the pen is to be replenished. Further, the feed section according to the invention now comprises a single element, and no parts are required for assembly within the section itself, and the nib section may be secured at one end and the barrel section at the other end, so lessening the number of parts required in the manufacture of the pen.

Referring to FIGURE 2, an alternative form of tube is shown at 20. The rear end 11 is formed as a piercing tube as before, but the embedded portion 2 1 is of greater diameter, and while the flange 22 prevents axial displacement of the tube rearwardly, the investment of the tube by the plastic prevents forward displacement.

FIGURE 3 shows another alternative. The tube 30 is externally tapered and of greater diameter at 31 than it is at 32. A shoulder 33 is formed in the moulded plastic at the end 31 prevents forward displacement of the tube 30, while its own tapered prevents rearward displacement. 1

In FIGURE 4- there is shown a tube 40 which though parallelsided, is formed with knurling 41 intermediate its length, so that an effective key or engagement with the plastic is provided. Other simple means of engagement may be employed.

FIGURE 5 shows a tube 50 which is like the tube 30 of FIGURE 3 except that it is essentially a straight-sided cylinder, and in this embodiment rearward displacement is prevented by the grip exerted by the plastic 13 moulded about the embedded portion thereof.

I claim:

1. A reservoir writing instrument having a feed section comprising a preformed tubular body made of plastic and having a through longitudinal bore, said body bore having a cartridge enclosing rearwardly disposed section and a forwardly disposed section of reduced diameter, and said body being formed with a forward nib receiving portion communicating with the forward end of said reduced bore section, a rigid ink conducting tube having an external diameter approximately that of said reduced bore section fixedly disposed within said reduced bore section and having one end permanently imbedded within said body and terminating short of said nib receiving portion so as to form a lining for said bore and having its other end projecting into said rearwardly disposed bore seetion and having a sharp edge to pierce an ink containing cartridge.

2. The writing instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said one end of the feed tube is molded within said body.

3. The writing instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said one end of said tube has a radial projection molded in the body.

4. The Writing instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said tube has an external surface roughened area at 'said one end.

5. The writing instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said tube is outwardly flanged and the body is molded about the flange. t

6. The writing instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said tube is tapered at said one end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Chapman Jan. 28, Connor Nov. 21, Little Jan. 28, Reynolds J an. 30, Poitras May 19, Butler Jan. 12, Smith Jan. 26, Huber Sept. 14, Smith Dec. 7, Gollehon Sept. 25, Young Aug. 13,

FOREIGN PATENTS France Nov. 28, 

